The Shibuya Incident

In the early post-war period, tens of thousands of Taiwanese residing in Japan faced an unprecedented identity crisis. They were no longer Japanese nationals in legal terms, yet the ROC's nationality determination process remained unclear. The 1946 "Shibuya Incident" — a street clash between Taiwanese and Japanese police — became emblematic of this dilemma, drawing international attention to the legal status of Taiwanese people.

In January 1946, the Nationalist government issued an order collectively "restoring" ROC nationality to all Taiwanese. However, GHQ (General Headquarters of the Allied Powers) and some international legal scholars challenged this move, arguing that until a formal peace treaty was signed, Taiwan's sovereignty remained undetermined, rendering the nationality change legally unfounded.

This volume explores the identity issues of post-war Taiwanese caught between international legal frameworks, featuring rare documents including overseas Chinese nationality certificates from Myanmar and the nationality restoration order.